One Thing is for Sure
by Pika-Senpai
Summary: Edward is a sophomore at Washington University and Bella is an incoming freshman. Edward doesn't have time for anything but his studies, but will Bella and her strange ways change that? Title based off of the song by The Spill Canvas.
1. Preface

**Preface**

**Edward POV**

It was just about time for a new school year to begin. Being a sophomore and considered charming by the staff at Washington University, I was automatically in pool of students that were chosen to welcome the incoming freshmen. I really didn't understand why I was picked for such a job, I dreaded it really.

I was in the administration office preparing for the following day, when I noticed a bunch of the guys gathered around a computer. I rolled my eyes. No doubt they were checking out the new crop of freshmen girls and claiming dibs on each one. I'm sure the girls had done the same. I'd have to ask Rosalie about that.

"Hey! Edward! Come look at these hotties!" James shouted across the room. I sighed and tried to pretend I didn't hear him. It obviously didn't phase him because he was at my side in the next few seconds.

I sighed. "James, did you ever figure that InsideWU only lets incoming freshmen on for a reason? And you better not be checking out Alice. Jasper will kill you." InsideWU was a special site that allowed incoming freshmen to interact with eachother before school started. It was almost like a Facebook or a MySpace just for Washington U students.

"Come on man! Lighten up. This is college! You're going to be working for the rest of your life!" He put his hand on my shoulder, trying to nudge me out of my seat and towards the group of guys.

I shrugged my shoulders as I stood up, pushing my chair into James' legs. "James, quit being stupid. I'm going back to the dorms." I turned toward the door and started walking, raising my hand in a slight wave, dismissing myself from the group. "I need rest if I have to put up with all this idiocy all day tomorrow."

--

**Bella POV**

"Bella! Are you ready for your first day?" Charlie asked me, a little worried. I think he had gotten used to me living with him after all those years of living alone. I could see he was going to miss me. I would miss him as well, but it would be nice to get out of the gloomy, small town of Forks.

"Yeah dad, I'm ready. Everything's packed." I don't know why he thought it would take me so long to pack. I had more books than clothes and those had been packed since last Friday. Plus, it was already after 10, did he think I was that disorganized? It's not like I'm so clumsy I'd take 5 hours to pack my suitcase.

"Ok, as long as everything's ready." We leave at 6 tomorrow morning, so you should get some sleep." Charlie poked his head into my room. "Night Bells. Love you."

I turned to him to wave goodnight. "Love you too, dad." I was honestly just too worn out to get up to give him a hug or anything. I'm sure he could tell by the dull squeaks my bed created as I plopped on it soon after he left.

I tried to sleep, I was tired, but I was also anxious. I was not going to know a soul. I had neglected to sign up for InsideWU partially because my internet was so slow that the site would be useless anyway and then partly because I was too shy. All I knew was that I lived in the Parker-Adams dorm and was rooming with a girl named Alice Cullen. I thought of what kind of person she would be like. Maybe she would be nice; hopefully she was not a snob. What if she was? I sat there, my eyelids heavy with apprehension and sleep. Hopefully we'll be friends, I thought. That was the last thought I remember thinking before drifting off to sleep.

--

I hope you guys liked it. It's my first fanfic in almost 7 years. It's just the preface, but there will be more to come…and it will definitely be more interesting.


	2. Shock and Awe

Chapter 1: Shock and Awe

**Chapter 1: Shock and Awe**

**Bella POV**

After hours of traveling, we were here, college. Wow. It was crawling with people. It made me nervous, especially with Charlie there. Who brought their dad with them when they moved in to the dorm? Maybe I was just being stupid. At least he could move all those books for me and he could do all the talking. At this point, I didn't care about the social repercussions of having my father be my college translator of sorts.

"Earth to Bells!" Charlie waved a hand with a map of the grounds in front of my face as he watched the road. "You ready? Parker-Adams is pretty close. I can just pull up and help you unload and then I'll let you do your thing. I'm sure you don't want me hanging around." He chuckled while ruffling my hair with the rolled up map in his hand.

I turned to glare at him, but couldn't help giggling. He was such a kid sometimes.

"Okay Bells. Here we are." Charlie said as we pulled up to the dorm. I looked even better than the pictures. Parker-Adams was one of the elite dorms; only kids with the highest honors could get in, so of course it was beautiful. The dorm was built out of dark red brick and was four stories high. What was interesting about the dorm was its shape. It looked like a hollow square that contained a park in the center. The courtyard was beautiful. I remembered to put it on mental file for writing inspiration.

"Wow Bells. You sure you're going to want to come home on the holidays?" Charlie chuckled. "Maybe I could just come up here and stay in an empty guy's dorm."

I gave him a mortified look that made him try to be serious. He tried, but he still was laughing under his breath. "Let's start unpacking. This paper says you're on the fourth floor in room 408. At least they have elevators." He jibed as he opened his door and stepped out of the truck he had borrowed from Billy. Charlie had realized that my truck wasn't reliable enough to make the trip and his cruiser wouldn't hold all of my supplies.

I stepped out of the truck and attempted to pull a suitcase out of the trunk. This was going to take awhile…

--

**Alice POV**

I wandered around the dorms with Edward after he, Jasper, and Emmett helped me unload my things. I had gotten there early. Our family had a bad habit of driving fast and Emmett's jeep and my Porsche were not going to be held back from their standards just because they were weighed down with my stuff.

"Thanks for helping me Edward. I'll have to thank Jasper and Emmett again as well."

"That's what family's for, right? And, well, Jasper, that's his duty." He chuckled. "Plus I don't think he wanted any of the guys trying to hit on you."

I laughed. "You've got a point." I looked around, noticed a larger influx of cars with dressers and other supplies stuffed within them. "Hey, shouldn't you be doing your job?" I asked teasingly.

He groaned. "I hate this job. I don't even get paid and I really should be working on all the coursework I know I'm going to have."

"Edward! You haven't even started classes yet!" _He hasn't changed at bit, has he?_

"That doesn't mean I don't have reading to do." He said with a knowing glance towards me. "But I suppose you are right. I'll go do my job. I'll meet you back in your dorm later. Then we can meet up with the others and go get some lunch."

"Good idea. See you then." I waved as he walked off toward the front of the dorm building and I walked back toward my room, making a short stop in the courtyard.

--

**Bella POV**

_Hm…She seems…trendy…and girly._ I inwardly cringed. _Looks like I've run into a whole year of living with a snob._

I hated that I was always so judgmental, but after dealing with the girls back in Forks, I had an aversion to girls who wore designer clothes and a lot of pink. Although part of my mind was rushing into these assumptions full heartedly, the other half of me was looking at her desk.

Her desk contained what seemed to be a family portrait, but it looked more like a group of models. _Greeeeaaaat. Just peachy._ At least her bookshelf contained some good stuff. She must be smart. Maybe she wasn't that bad…

"It looks like you've got quiet an interesting roommate, Bells." Charlie tried not to laugh, but he couldn't help giving me a slight smirk.

"Yeah, this is going to be interesting." I said with a noticeable frown.

"Well, Bells, I guess I better let you organize everything. I'm letting Billy and Jacob look over your truck so you can bring it back when you visit. I just want to make sure it will last the trip." Charlie pulled me into a tight hug. "Bye. I'm gonna miss you Bells."

"I'll miss you too dad." I said as he loosened the hug and headed towards the door. "Love you dad."

Charlie waved goodbye as he replied. "Love you too."

--

**Alice POV**

I walked into my dorm room around lunch time to see who I assumed was my new roommate, Isabella Swan, reading on her bed. I knocked lightly on the open door and stepped in. "Hi. Are you Bella?" I knew to call her Bella because she had specified on her records that she preferred it to her full name.

She seemed startled. She quickly sat up and held the book out to me. "You must be Alice. I'm so sorry! I just saw that you had _Wuthering Heights_ and I just wanted to read one of my favorite parts since I left mine at home." She rushed around like a frightened mouse and put the book back on my shelf.

I let out a slight chuckle as I walked back to the bookshelf and grabbed the book and handed it to her. "No, don't worry about it. I don't mind sharing my books with someone who appreciates them."

Bella hesitated, but eventually took the book with a meek "Thanks."

I walked over to my bed and hopped on it, lying out on my back. "So, what do you like to do for fun?"

Bella looked up at me with a bit of confusion in her large brown eyes. "I like to read, play and listen to music, and hang out with my friends. I do a lot of things really."

"My brother plays the piano and a few other instruments. What do you play?"

Bella looked away from me, as if she were deep in thought. "Violin and some guitar. I'm not very good though."

"I'm sure you are. Hey! Do you like to shop?" I sat up quickly, hoping that she might open up a little more if I showed more interest.

My quick movement did seem to shock her, but a wave of calm seemed to rush over her features. It was almost as if she were worried about what I thought of her and suddenly realized that I was determined to be friends with her.

"What girl doesn't like the occasional shopping spree?" She giggled, starting to open up more.

"Well then, we're going on a shopping trip sometime soon. We'll make it our bonding day, okay?" I joined in with her giggles. Her laughter was infectious.

Pretty soon we had our iPods out and we were comparing our playlists. Bella liked a lot of the bands I did, but her music taste was more eclectic than mine and contained everything from swing to heavy metal. She even had Debussy on her playlist.

Our bonding time was cut short when there was a slight rap at our door. The Edward was standing in the doorway, looking rather tired and annoyed.

--

**Edward POV**

I hated this job. No…I loathed it with every fiber of my being. This must be penitence for my sins or some form of punishment that would have to spare me some bit of eternal damnation. I tried to help, I really did, but how can one help give directions and information when they had a swarm of girls hitting on them? I hated it. I did my best to be charming and gentlemanly, but I had had my fill for the day. I quickly abandoned the line that had formed for me and rushed off toward Alice's dorm.

When I finally got there, I heard a good bit of laughter coming from her room. She must've met her roommate. I was glad they were getting along; Alice wasn't exactly the most normal person in a group of people.

I knocked lightly on the door and stepped in. Alice and her roommate abruptly stopped their laughing. Either I surprised them or I looked really angry. It was mostly likely a combination of the two.

"Hey Edward! You're just in time. This is my roommate, Bella" Alice gestured toward the other bed in the room where Bella was sitting. She was pretty. She had long brown hair and big brown eyes that seemed to hold more wisdom than their years. I reached my hand out to shake hers as she approached me. She timidly returned the gesture, sending a slight shock through me. I felt my eyes widen in literal shock and I saw her look down, blushing slightly.

"It's nice to meet you Edward." She said in a more confident voice, that her eyes, filled with embarrassment, betrayed.

--

**Bella POV**

All this time I was afraid of Alice and she happened to be one of the nicest people I've met. Granted, I hadn't met many people on campus yet, but still, it was a good start.

Alice was pretty. She carried herself so gracefully, but one would expect such just from looking at her. Her body and facial features mimicked that of a pixie, but unlike a fragile pixie, her short, spiked hair conveyed a spunk and quirkiness about her.

We were getting along perfectly, but our bonding session was quickly cut short when there was a light knock on the door.

I looked toward the door to see who it was. It was probably just some residential advisor checking up on the incoming freshmen, but in that moment, I realized it wasn't. I had to work to keep my jaw from dropping. It was the most gorgeous guy I had ever seen. He had bronze hair that was tousled about to give it the popular untidy look. His hair fell just above his brilliant green eyes seemed to sparkle, even if he did look tired. He was pale and well built, but not too built, like a model. That's it. He was like a model….from heaven.

"Hey Edward! Just in time! This is my roommate, Bella." I quickly looked back and forth between her and this model. They were related?!

He started walking towards me as he casually held out his hand. I hadn't noticed I was the one who initiated the gesture and that I was now on my feet walking toward him. I think I was in awe.

When our hands touched, it seemed as if some current had passed through us. It sounds cheesy, I know, but this wasn't the static electricity…it was weird. Whatever it was, it caused us to jerk our hands away almost as quickly as they had touched. I looked down, trying to hide my blushing. I needed to stop acting like a school girl, so I looked up and smiled. "It's nice to meet you Edward."

"The pleasure is mine." He said as he smiled so brilliantly it my heart stop.

--

**A/N:** Ok, first chapter! What do you guys think?


	3. The Cullens and the Hales

Chapter 2: The Cullens and the Hales

**Chapter 2: The Cullens and the Hales**

**Alice POV**

Watching Bella and Edward interact was interesting. They seemed to be getting along, but they were doing so in an awkward manner. Edward went to his best behavior, the same behavior that caused girls to melt in the palm of his hand. Poor Bella. She was already a nervous wreck; she didn't need Edward and his dazzling capabilities to make it worse.

"So, Edward, where are we going to eat?" I pulled him out of his slightly shocked state. He shook his head quickly, as if he were trying to clear his mind like an etch-a-sketch.

"Well, I was thinking we'd go off campus since it's pure chaos here today."

"Good point. Let's go then!" I grabbed Bella's wrist and started dragging her toward the door.

"Wait, I'm invited?" She looked shocked as her glance went back and forth between Edward and me.

"Of course, silly." I continued to drag her. "Edward, are we going in my car?" I turned to look at him and he smirked.

"Alice, we might want some breathing room. My car isn't as small as yours." He chuckled as he walked past us. I was still holding Bella's wrist, so I let it go. She was doing fine; she didn't need me to drag her to his car.

--

When we got to Edward's Volvo, I could tell Bella's mind was about to explode. I think Edward did as well, because he offered her the front seat, my usual seat. It seemed to pull her out of her catatonic state because she turned to me.

"Is it ok?" She seemed to pick up on the fact that the front seat was indeed my normal seat, but I smiled, seeing a good opportunity before me.

"Sure. It's Edward's car after all. He kind of gets a say in who sits where." I winked at Edward and quickly slid into the backseat before Bella could say another word.

Bella, though seemingly nervous at first, opened up and quickly became the girl I had just been laughing with in our dorm. She was soon immersed in a discussion with Edward. I hated to break up Edward's conversation with Bella, but I had a really important question on my mind.

"Hey Edward! Where are we eating?" I smiled sheepishly, feeling like a little kid asking "Are we there yet?" to her parents on a long road trip. Edward's answer to my question sounded like a typical smart-alecky older brother.

"A restaurant." He looked at my image in the rearview mirror while giving me one of his lopsided grins. I frowned and stuck my tongue out at him. He seemed to notice my distaste for his answer and replied. "A Chinese restaurant if you must know."

--

**Bella POV**

"Yum! Chinese!" My excitement covered any nervous feelings I had at the moment. Of course I wasn't one to get so excited over food, but when a gorgeous guy decides to treat you to lunch after you've had nothing but a breakfast bar all day, one tends to become slightly elated.

Alice and Edward laughed. It was like a heavenly chorus. They were both so beautiful and perfect, like movie stars. To tell the truth, it made me feel very inferior.

When we got to the restaurant, we pulled into a parking spot next to a huge jeep. I noticed the driver was trying to get out, so I politely let him get out first and watched him as he walked toward the front of the car. The guy was huge…huge and scary. He was extremely built and was now holding hands with a blonde girl. She wasn't any ordinary girl; she was the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen. Their beauty amazed me. No, it baffled me. So much as to cause me trip on the bottom ledge of the car. I closed my eyes, dreading the thud of my body against the concrete and the pain that would soon ensue.

"Might want to watch your step next time." A deep voice chuckled. I opened my eyes and noticed that the pavement was within inches of my nose and the length of my hair was resting on the pavement. I knew the arm that had caught me could not be Edward or Alice, it was too muscular. With that thought, I was lifted upright and facing the guy who had just had his hand linked with the gorgeous blonde. He turned his head toward Edward who was now beside him.

"Is this your study partner or something?" Edward scowled.

"That's Bella. She's my roommate, Emmett. I invited her along." Alice butted in, obviously trying to stop the argument she felt coming up.

Emmett turned his head back to me and smiled warmly. He wasn't as scary as he had first seemed. He was more like a giant teddy bear it seemed. He held out his hand to me. "I'm Emmett, Alice and Edward's older brother. Nice to meet you, Bella." I returned the gesture, his hand practically engulfing my own.

"It's nice to meet you too." I glanced past him at the beautiful blonde who was now accompanied by another blonde who was quite attractive as well. Emmett must have noticed my glance because he walked me over to the group and introduced me.

"This is Rosalie Hale and her brother, Jasper. You guys, this is Bella, Alice's roommate. Rosalie's my girlfriend and Jasper is Alice's boyfriend."

_Of course._ I thought to myself. _Beautiful people hook up with other beautiful people. It's a law of nature._ With this thought, I automatically assumed Edward's girlfriend would be rolling in sometime soon to meet us, but it seems I was wrong because the group headed into the restaurant and asked for a table for six.

I turned to Alice as we were led to our table, wanting to relieve my confusion. "Alice, isn't Edward's girlfriend coming?" I made sure I whispered so the rest of the group wouldn't hear me. Whispering wasn't necessary after that. Alice's laughter would have covered my voice if I had anything else to say. She seemed very amused; everyone was looking at her now.

She coughed, thinking it would hide her somehow. "It was nothing, just a funny joke Bella was telling me." She smiled innocently as the others took their seats. I sat in between her and Rosalie and right across from Edward.

Alice whispered in my ear while the waitress handed out the menus. "Why don't you ask Edward about that? It's a very good question." She giggled which caught Jasper's attention. He seemed to know what was going on and gave her a reproachful look. I paid no attention to it. He was probably a little embarrassed from her laughing spell that caused the whole restaurant to stop and look at them.

Alice nudged me in the ribs and whispered. "Hey! Ask him. I want to see what he says."

"Why me?"

"You were the curious one." She grinned slyly.

She was pressuring me and I was just about to crack. What was the big deal anyway? I probably wasn't going to be seeing much of him after today anyway. I felt someone tap my shoulder, pulling me out of my analysis of the current situation.

"What would you like to drink? And would you like to order your food now or do you need a few minutes?" The waitress smiled, but I could tell she really didn't want to be there. I nodded, ordered, and proceeded with my thoughts, trying to think of a way not to give in to Alice's request.

"So, Bella, what do you plan on majoring in?" Rosalie tried to start some form of conversation with me. She was intimidating, but it was better than Alice trying to break my resolve.

"Well, I hope she doesn't major in anything that takes coordination." Emmett teased.

I laughed. "English doesn't take much coordination, does it?"

"You'd be surprised. You could accidentally stab yourself with a pencil or something."

"Emmett, I don't think she's that clumsy. And she hasn't shown any signs of clumsiness other than that one incident." Edward chimed in.

"Well, there will be plenty more in the future. I am rather clumsy." I said as my brown eyes met his brilliant emerald ones and held his gaze.

Alice interrupted us with a sly maneuver. "Hey! Edward….Bella has a question she had wanted to ask you." She grinned wicked in my direction as I looked, horrified, from Alice to Edward and back again.

Edward looked at Alice with his head slightly cocked to the side in confusion then turned toward me.

"Yes?"

Alice nodded towards me as if it were to automatically make the words come out of my mouth. Unfortunately, it did.

"Why didn't you invite your girlfriend?" His eyes widened slightly and he looked at me with an expression of concealed horror. There was a small silence as soon as I had asked, but the laughter soon stormed in and caused the restaurant patrons to stare at our group once again. I was confused.

"Wait, why is that funny?" I was the one with a look of confusion now.

Emmett slapped the table as he laughed, trying to produce coherent speech. "Edward…" Laughter. "…have a girlfriend?" More laughter.

"So, are you gay?" I really shouldn't have said that, but I wanted to know what was so funny. It didn't seem like they were going to tell me anyway.

Jasper was the first to calm down. When he did, he looked at me and replied to my question. Every now and then he'd glance at Edward who was still in some state of combined embarrassment and shock.

"Bella, Edward's not gay, or so we think." He chuckled slightly as he jabbed Edward jokingly in his ribs. "He's on a pre-med track and he gets really involved in his work."

"Oh." I blushed. "Sorry if I offended you Edward." I looked down at my drink that the waitress had put by me without me noticing.

"No, it's ok. I actually get that a lot." He smiled at me, making my heart stop. My heart was put back into order when the waitress finally came with our food. The rest of the meal was less awkward, but I was even shyer around Edward now.

Once we finished our meal and the check was paid, we walked back to the cars. When we got back to Edward's car, Alice was already in Emmett's jeep. I gave her an evil glare to which she replied with a plethora of goofy faces. If I could hear her, I'm sure she would be singing like a kid on a playground. "Nah, nah, nah nah, nah!"

"Looks like it's just you and me Bella." Edward opened his door and hopped into the car. I followed suit. I'm sure he could tell how nervous I was, but I still tried to hide it.

He watched the other cars pull out of the parking lot, taking his time following them. As he drove, he looked like he was thinking deeply, too deep to be aware of my presence. He was so still it shocked me when he turned his head toward me as we pulled up to a stop sign.

"Bella, why did you think I'd have a girlfriend?"

I started to blush heavily. I didn't think he was going to corner me after that awkward moment at the restaurant…"I…uh…um…"

"What? I promise I won't laugh." He saluted playfully. "Scout's honor!"

If he was trying to lighten things up, it worked because I felt my face cool off slightly, but my heart was still pounding. "I just thought that because…well…" I paused to look up at him. I shouldn't have done that. He took my breath away every time I looked at him.

"Come on Bella. Tell me. I'm curious now." He wasn't looking at me anymore. Instead, he kept his eyes on the road. I had a feeling he was subtly trying to make me more comfortable just so I'd tell him.

"Well…You seem really nice and smart and…" I started to blush again. I could feel his eyes on me.

We stopped during my silence. He had pulled off on the shoulder of the road with the university in sight. He put the car in park as he turned his body toward mine and lightly placed his hand on my cheek. He gently pulled my face toward his and whispered quietly "And what Bella?"

I felt my heart stop yet again. He had to know what he was doing. There was no question about it. He leaned toward my ear in my silence, his breath warm against my skin. "And what Bella?"

I couldn't take it anymore; it was too much. I felt myself hyperventilating. His soothing voice and gentle touch wafted me into darkness.

--

**Edward POV**

I admit using my charm on Bella was something I shouldn't have done. I didn't even know her, but she fascinated me. I wanted to know what she thought of me, but it seemed as if that would have to wait. My tactics must have done something weird too her. I've never had a girl faint on me. Then again, I've never concentrated that much of my charm on one girl before. When was the last time I even tried to charm a girl?

Either way, I was now carrying Bella up to her dorm. When I got there, Alice was no where in sight. She was probably hanging out with Jasper no doubt. It had been awhile since they had seen each other, so I didn't think anything of it.

I set Bella down on her bed after pulling back the covers. I pulled the covers back over her and made sure she looked comfortable before heading toward the door. Just as I was about to shut the door, she came around.

"Edward?" She sounded slightly groggy, but that was to be expected.

I walked back in the room and stood next to her bed. "Yes?"

"What happened?"

"Um, you fainted. I'm sorry about that. Didn't mean to. I'll make it up to you. How about I treat you to coffee before class tomorrow?" What was I saying? I normally read before class at the coffee shop.

"Aren't you busy?" She seemed to catch on to my study habits quickly.

"Well, I usually study or read, but I'll at least buy you the coffee." I smiled, thinking I was on the right track.

"Sure then. What time?" She looked excited. All I was doing was buying her a cup of coffee.

"How about eight? When's your first class?" She sat up as I asked her, becoming more engaged in the conversation.

"Nine. I have English 201 with Professor Jenkins."

"Wait…How did you get in that class? You're a freshman. I'm in that class." I had heard she was smart, but I didn't think she had clepped out of courses.

"Clep test." She smiled brilliantly. "So tomorrow morning at eight?"

"Eight it is." I said as I walked back toward the door.

"Bye Edward!" She waved as I closed the door.

"Yeah, bye." I waved slightly, now in a rush to get back to my books. Everything went back to normal…as if nothing had happened.

--

**A/N: **I hope you guys liked the chapter. I apologize for taking so long. I've had a bunch going on lately and finally got the time to finish this chapter up.

I'm glad you guys have liked the story so far. To be honest, I was afraid people would hate it. I'm not the most confident when it comes to my story-writing abilities, but thanks for all the support.

Just let me know if there's anything you guys would like to see happen or if the story is moving too slow.

Thanks.


	4. Coffee and a Trade

Chapter 3: Coffee and a Lesson Learned

**Chapter 3: Coffee and a Trade**

**Bella POV**

Beep! Beep! Beep! I hated alarm clocks, especially at 6:30 in the morning, but I figured I should get up extra early to insure that I found the café on time.

The alarm clock must've disturbed Alice because she was now turning over to look at me, her eyes barely open.

"Why are you up so early?" Her words were slurred, it was quite interesting.

"I'm going out for coffee before my English class. Sorry I woke you."

Alice let out a groan as she rolled back over to go to sleep as I quietly walked into the bathroom to get my shower. I hated showers in the morning, but I had been too tired the night before. Fainting can take a lot out of a girl! I still couldn't believe I fainted. How embarrassing….at least I was getting a breakfast date with Edward. I wondered if he actually thought of it as a date as I dried off and got dressed.

Once I was dressed and ready, I grabbed my bag and rushed off to the café. I had decided to wear a pair of dark jeans, a pair of black flats, and a white shirt button-down shirt. It was classy, yet casual. I eyed myself in the mirror one last time before walking out the door.

--

I got to the café rather early, so I decided to go in a save two of the big chairs that practically swallowed the small table between them. As I walked to the chairs, I saw a tuft of bronze hair about four tables down from the one I had already mental reserved. I walked past the table and on to where I thought Edward was.

He was there alright. He was concentrating on a book that he held leaned over as his elbows rested on his knees, supporting him. I quietly sat in the chair opposite of him, waiting to see how long it would take him to realize I was there. After five minutes went by, I gave up and greeted him.

"Morning!" I sounded way too cheerful for this early in the morning, but he had that effect on me.

Edward looked up from his book, slightly startled, and spoke to me.. "Oh, Hey Bella." Then he went back to his reading. I was confused. Why did he just leave it with a greeting? I did not wake up early to sit here and watch him read…especially without my coffee.

"Edward," I waited for him to look up, his emerald eyes calm.

"Yes?"

"Did you invite me just to sit here and watch you read?" I said, half teasing, half completely serious.

He seemed to have suddenly remembered why I was there. "Oh yes! Sorry!" He set his book down and reached into his pocket, pulling out his wallet then handed it to me. "Go buy whatever you want….from the café. I know Alice might take advantage of that freedom, so I just had to remind you. I promised you coffee, not my bank account." He grinned as if there was nothing wrong with this situation.

Confusion seemed to surround me even more with its ever thickening haze. "Wait…You want me to go buy it?"

"Well not with your money."

"What are you going to do?" I couldn't believe this.

"Review Macbeth before class." He picked up his book and continued to read. I noticed he had taken notes in the book and now he was reading them all.

"You know…you invited me."

"I know. I really am sorry about that fainting thing. I hope this makes up for it."

"You're kidding me?! You're just going to sit there and study?" I tossed his wallet back at him.

Edward looked baffled. "We can study together if you'd like. I just thought you might want to study by yourself."

"Edward, you invited me to go for coffee with you on the first day of school."

"Yeees? And…?" He still didn't get it.

"It's the first day of school and you're cramming like it's finals! Why invite me out for coffee if you're not even going to have the courtesy to talk or actually buy the coffee?"

"I…uh…" He was trying to find the right words to say, but I could tell he wasn't going to find them soon.

"Look, all I'm saying is take a break. If you wanted to spend time with me and get to know me better, you're not going to be able to do it while silently studying and sending me off to get coffee."

He opened his mouth to talk again, but I interrupted him.

"And strictly talking about Macbeth and the different techniques Shakespeare used won't work either!" I stormed off in the direction of the closest entrance to the café.

"I'm sorry Bella." I stopped and turned around as he stood up to hug me. Maybe he did understand…

"I guess I understand what Emmett and the others meant. You are really studious."

"I'll go get you some coffee." He smiled. "Then we can study together!"

I glared at him with a look of pure rage.

He laughed as he put his hand on my shoulder. "Bella, I was joking! We can talk like normal people when I get back. Now what would you like me to buy you?"

"I have no clue. How about I just go with you?" I felt the blood rush to my cheeks.

"Sure, it's not crowded anyway, so no one will take our seats." He put lightly put his hand on the small of my back as we walked toward the counter.

--

**Edward POV**

I felt like an idiot. I knew I usually blew people off when I was in a studying mood, but I had really tried not to fall into that habit when I met Bella for coffee. I really thought I was doing a good job until she kind of started raising her voice. I guess I still don't understand girls that well. There has to be a book of some sort to help guys like me out.

When Bella and I finally got our coffee, we sat back down, my notes safely tucked away in my bag. I really like her; she's probably the only girl that has ever been able to keep my attention from my studies for so long. Is that a problem though? I put those thoughts aside and decided to concentrate on Bella. After all, I did invite her.

"Sorry about earlier Bella. I'll be good now." I grinned, feeling as if I were a mischievous child promising his mother he'd keep out of trouble.

"Don't worry about it. We just need to break some of your habits. You're going to kill yourself with all that stress!" She laughed, as if it were a joke. Heh…she has no idea how much I actually work.

"So, Bella, What do you want to do with your degree?" I tried to turn the conversation from my horrible work habits no matter how lighthearted the conversation was.

"Teach probably. I'd love to be a professor." She stared off into space as if she were imagining her future then quickly turned her attention back to me.

"Alice told me you play the piano. I would like to hear you play sometime."

"Maybe." I said with a mischievous grin.

She laughed as she lightly pushed my shoulder. "Come on! Please?"

"Hmmm…Let's make a trade." My mind was racing and I couldn't slow it down enough to keep the thoughts from becoming spoken words.

Bella cocked her head to the side, curious. "A trade?"

_She's so cute when she's confused._ I thought as I gave her a lopsided grin. "Yes. Are you interested?"

"Depends on the trade." Now she was curious, but there was a bit of caution in her large brown eyes.

"You let me walk you to class—"

"Done!" Bella interjected.

I laughed at her immediate response. "I wasn't finished." I chuckled as she turned a deep red. "There's only one more part of the trade."

"What is it?"

I looked at my watch. Perfect timing! Time to walk to class. "I'll have to tell you later, Bella. We have to get to class on time."

She looked at me in disbelief then quickly got up and stood in front of me. "No. You tell me now or I won't let you out!" She was trying to look threatening, but she only made me laugh in adoration.

"Bella, you look like a four year old." I laughed. "And just like a four year old, I can pick you up and drag you to class whether you like it or not."

"You wouldn't dare!" Her eyes widen as she realized her threat had effect on me.

I stood up and bent down to her level, our faces almost touching. _God she smells so good. I have to focus! Snap out of it!_ Her eyes were filled with uncertainty. I'm sure she could see all the chaos that filled my mind. I gently brushed my hand against her cheek, moving the hair out of her face. "Wanna bet?"

She was speechless. I took my opportunity and quickly swung her onto my back and ran toward the door. She was so shocked at my action that she didn't really say anything until we got outside.

"Edward!! Let me down! NOW!" She started kicking, trying to pry herself off of my back. Lucky for me, I had a good grip on her and our class was in the building next to the café. People stared as we passed, but I didn't pay much attention, stuff like this was normal on campus. Boys would scare their girlfriends or the girls they liked by doing things like this. The crowd just assumed we were the same. I guess, if I really thought about it, we were. I had only known her for about a day and I already felt like I had known her for weeks. We just clicked.

Bella seemed to have given up by the time we reached the classroom because she was now holding on without trying to kill me and her face was buried into my neck. Her breath was warm and sent shivers up my spine. I let go of my hold on her, but she wouldn't get down. Maybe she was scared.

"Hey Bella," I reached my hand back and tapped on her shoulder. "You okay?"

"Mhm…just a little out of breath." She loosened her grip and got down.

"You weren't the one running!" I laughed jokingly.

She walked past me, opening the classroom door. "You weren't the one who was scared to death! Don't do that again!" She tried once again to sound threatening, but it didn't work. I only chuckled.

"What if I warn you next time?" I grinned.

She turned around and scowled at me and walked into the classroom, taking a seat. "Maybe."

I sat next to her in the front row. "Okay. I promise to warn you next time."

She ignored me. "Okay, you took me to class. What's the other part of the trade?" I sighed. The girl had a one-track mind for sure.

"If you recall correctly, I said I would walk you to class. I technically carried you to class." I love technicalities. I really should have decided on a pre-law course. I basked silently in my sudden stroke of genius.

"That's not fair! Tell me now!" She started pouting again.

"Nope!" I was just as determined as her.

"But…Edward…" Her eyes shone with fresh tears.

Darn, she was good. "Bella…" I felt my resolve cracking…

"Good morning class!" Professor Jenkins burst through his office door from the front of the classroom. There has to be a God in heaven. I silently thanked whatever caused the perfect timing of the professor's entrance.

"I'm Professor Jenkins." He began to pass out syllabi to the class. "Today we'll go over the basics of the first two acts of Shakespeare's Macbeth. I trust that you all have read and can participate in this discussion?" As he walked back toward his desk, Professor Jenkins eyed the class questioningly as half of its members groaned inwardly. Noticing the lack of enthusiasm in the class, he picked up his roster and looked through the names of his students.

Bella quickly poked me as she whispered. "Pst! Edward! Tell me!" I simply shook my head and placed a finger over my lips.

"Mr. Cullen?" The professor's eyes quickly grazed the classroom. I raised my hand and set it back down in acknowledgement. "Ah. Part of the famous Cullen clan are we?"

Alice was loved by the entire faculty and Emmett was known for bringing them into early retirement. I wasn't surprised he had heard of me. "Yes sir."

"Very well then. Can you give the class a quick summary of the first act?"

"Yes sir." I went on to briefly explain, knowing half the class wasn't listening to a word I was saying. I could feel Bella rolling her eyes at me. She probably thought I was silently gloating because I was right about the class schedule for today. When I finished I turned toward her and gave her an innocent smile. All to which she rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at me.

Professor Jenkins went through the roster randomly asking questions and getting to know everyone's names. All the while Bella was attempting to get me to tell her what the second part of the trade was. I smiled inwardly.

"Miss Swan?"

"Yes?" Bella raised her hand to show him where the voice was coming from.

"Why did Shakespeare write Macbeth's vision of the dagger in act two?"

Bella took a deep breath. "Well, Macbeth is a play used to observe the psychological effects of power and murder on a man. Macbeth's hallucination of the dagger serves as a reminder that Macbeth is still aware of the great wrong he is doing by…" And she went on to explain. She was extremely articulate and very perceptive. I envied her. How could she be so relaxed and carefree, yet still be so confident?

Bella's analysis had impressed the professor and sparked further debate and analysis of the topic by other students. The discussion lasted until 10:30, five minutes before class was over. Bella was going to corner me. I knew just knew it.

"We had a good first day. You guys can leave 5 minutes early." Professor Jenkins smiled as he propped the door open with a doorstop.

_Greaaaat. I'll just have to beat her to the punch._ "Hey Bella!"

She turned to look at me and mouthed for me to wait outside the classroom for her. She was obviously busy talking to a group of people that were networking with her so they'd be sure to have her help during finals.

Once Bella was finished and she was with me again, I asked her about her answer. "How did you do that? You didn't even study!" I said with disbelief.

"Edward. Just because I don't have Macbeth in front of my face all the time doesn't mean I don't study. I read the play, took notes, and looked over them once or twice." She was completely serious now.

I was silent.

"You know you don't have to study so much. I think you really get so wrapped up in your work that you look over stuff. That happens when you stress out. Then you only try to counter it by studying even more. You just need to relax." She smiled warmly.

"What's your next class?"

"Calc two with Professor Clement." She shuddered.

'"I take it that you don't care for math much."

"Not really. It's ok though. What I really don't care for is you not telling me the other part of the trade!" She turned around and jumped in front of me, giving me an evil glare.

"I'll play my piano for you if you let me walk you to class. I told you that already." I kept a completely straight face as Bell grew even more frustrated.

"There was something else! What was it?!" She was pointed a finger accusingly at me at which I just smiled.

"Do you really want to know?" I sighed. I was going to have to tell her sometime.

"I'll play for you iiiiiiiiiiiiif…" I tried to drag out my sentence just to tease her.

"If what?!" She stepped closer toward me, trying to be intimidating.

"If you'd let me take you out this Saturday." She blushed heavily as she began looking at the ground.

"Bella?"

"Hm?" She was now letting her hair form a curtain between the two of us as she continued to look at the ground as if it was the most interesting thing on the planet.

I leaned toward her face and brushed her hair behind her ears with my hands. If possible, her cheeks became even redder. I angled her face toward mine as I unconsciously leaned even closer to her. She was so enticing.

"Bella," I whispered while looking into her deep brown eyes.

"Hm?" She replied in a higher, yet even softer voice while moving her head back down so she could get a better view of the cement.

I placed my hands on her shoulders as leaned in and inhaled her sweet scent and whispered softly. "Bella, I want you…" I could hear her breath catch. I stood up straight quickly. I didn't need her fainting again and I really needed to keep focused.

She looked up at me, slightly dazed.

"I want you to go out with me on Saturday. Do you want to go?" I waited patiently for Bella's answer. When she finally gained her composure, she replied.

"Sure. That would be nice." She was blushing again.

I tried to lighten the mood. "When's your next class?"

"Eleven ten. I better go now." She waved quickly and rushed off in the opposite direction. I continued to walk toward my next class, grinning the whole way.

**A/N:** Thanks for all your reviews! (I really like reviews hint hint lol) If any of you have an constructive criticism, don't be afraid to share! I want to better my writing, so any advice or suggestion is helpful.

Hope you enjoyed!


	5. Alice Unleashed

**Chapter 4: Alice Unleashed  
**

**Bella POV**

I'm surprised I was even able to walk away from Edward after he used all his dazzling powers on me. I'm glad he backed away from me when he did, otherwise I would have fainted again and it would have messed up my first day.

I couldn't pay attention in Calc; I was too busy thinking about what had just happened. I played it over in my head countless times. I was lucky Professor Clement decided to give us an easy first day and just explain her expectations for the class.

I had promised Alice I would meet her for lunch after Calculus, but she hadn't told me where. There were many places to eat on campus, so I decided to call her and find out.

"Hey Bella, what's up?" _Only if she knew._ I laughed inwardly.

"Um…Where are we eating?"

"Oh! I'm so sorry Bella! I'm at main cafeteria building. It's got the most selection and it's close to both of our classes."

"Ah, okay. I'm…uh…on my way." Thoughts of Edward were clouding my mind and slowing my speech.

"You okay?"

"I'll explain. I'm almost there." I shoved my way through the crowd loitering in front of the building with their lunches.

I found Alice sitting on a bench near the entrance. Before I could say much she dragged me off toward the area of the cafeteria that served Mexican food.

"This okay with you?" Alice asked, not really paying attention to whether or not I was really okay with it. She was eager to hear my news. I wondered if she knew.

"Yeah, sure." I said as she ordered for the both of us and paid with her campus food credits.

"Alice, I have just as many credits as you do. I can pay for myself." She was really in a hurry, wasn't she?

"My treat. You can pay next time if it makes you feel better." She smiled brightly and then rushed off to a deserted area of the cafeteria.

She placed my quesadilla in front of me along with my drink. She was really going overboard. As soon as Alice could, she began devouring her meal. I held my right hand up to signal her to stop as I pinched the bridge of my nose with my forefinger and thumb out of sheer frustration.

"Alice," I sighed as I put my hands in my lap and began looking at them. "Guess I might as well tell you now before you choke on your food."

She laughed her light bubbly laugh as leaned forward in interest. "So? What happened? Spill."

"English class was very productive. We had a very interesting discussion about Macbeth." I tried to slowly enter the subject. Even though I felt comfortable around Alice, the topic had me mentally paralyzed. I was unable to spit out the words without some type of warm up.

"Oh come on Bella! Did he make you faint again?! Was it even something to do with Edward?" She had a mixture of anger and amusement in her pixie-like features.

I looked back to my hands which were now wringing each other as if they were wet towels in need of drying. I shyly looked up at Alice through my eyelashes. "Maybe." My eyes quickly darted back to my now red hands.

"Tell me!" Alice reached across the table and shook me bye my shoulders.

I sighed once again as I tried to gain my composure. Once I did, I looked back up at Alice and took a deep breath. "Well, where would you like me to start?"

"The beginning of course!" She smiled wickedly.

"Okay then…" I proceeded to tell her the morning's events from getting to the café early all the way to my walk to calculus. She would stop me and ask questions occasionally. Every now and then she'd throw in a random comment or sign of approval or disapproval. When I got to the part where Edward actually asked me out, she squealed with delight.

"Edward asked you out? And so soon too! You have no idea how happy I am!"

"Did you know about this?" I raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Well, maybe I could tell he was interested…" She started looking away and dragging her sentences out slowly.

"Alice…" I gave her a stern look that told her not to keep her thoughts from me.

"Okay. Yes. I knew. Not because he told me, but because of how he is with you. You'll be good for him! He's much more laid back around you."

"I don't notice that. He still studies and stays in study mode all the time."

A devious smile formed on Alice's face. "Well, we'll just have to make sure he's studying the right subject."

--

It was Saturday morning, and Edward had called to remind me of our plans and tell me the exact time to be ready. He wouldn't tell me what he was planning, but I'm sure Alice had gotten it out of him. After all, she needed to know what we were doing in order to plan my outfit.

In order to keep the academic side of Edward's mind at bay, Alice decided to help me prepare for the date. Not that she thought I wouldn't be able to hold his attention on my own, she just wanted to make sure the night was perfect. I honestly think she just wanted to play dress up with a real human instead of a Barbie doll.

Alice had taken me to the spa, her treat. I was pampered to the utmost extreme and walked out of the spa three hours later soft and glowing with my nails flawlessly painted. She insisted on a classic French manicure saying it was classy, stylish, and it would match whatever I decided to wear. She was really getting into this whole date thing.

As we hopped into Alice's yellow Porsche, I tried to get our next stop out of her.

"Alice, where are we going next?" No use trying to be secretive with her.

"A store." She grinned at me as she sped out of the parking lot.

"For what?" My stomach growled. It was already lunch time and I hadn't had breakfast.

"We're going to pick out clothes for you, but did you want to go get some lunch?" She looked at me, raising an eyebrow that dared me to ruin her plan.

"Can we at least get some fries or something so I won't sound like a monster from the deep?" I whined as I rubbed my stomach in attempt to stop the hunger pangs

"Sure. It's not that I don't want you to eat, we just have to get everything done by four." As she said this, she pulled up to a McDonald's and ordered a coke and some fries for me. When I tried to pay for my food, she refused to accept it.

"Bella, today is about you. Everything today is my treat. It's not everyday I get to give someone a makeover. Consider your presence payment enough." She winked at me as she handed me my food.

--

Alice parallel parked her car in front of row of designer shops. I sighed and shook my head in disbelief. _Only Alice would..._ I thought. Before I could unbuckle my seat belt, Alice was there trying to drag me out of the tiny car.

"Bella! Come on! We only have an hour. I still have to do your hair and makeup!" She dragged me through the door to the nearest shop.

I was surprised when Alice turned to me. "Bella, if you were to choose. Would you wear a dress, a skirt, or pants?"

"You're giving me a choice?" I laughed. I wasn't expecting Alice to give her doll a choice in clothing.

"Well, you need to be comfortable." She smiled as she turned to look at the various styles of clothing.

"Depends on what we're doing. If it's just a dinner and a movie, a skirt or dress is fine." I really didn't care what I wore, I just wanted to look my best, but I didn't want to be stuck in a skirt if he brought me to the water front where it was really windy at night. Talk about disaster.

"Hmmm…" Alice stood in thought. She was probably trying to recall exactly what Edward had planned. "I'm not entirely sure what he has planned, but I don't think it's a traditional dinner and a movie, so let's go with some cute jeans or dress pants."

I looked at her, no doubt curiosity was radiating from every part of my being. "What _do_ you know Alice?"

"You'll have fun." Obviously, she was avoiding telling me, so naturally I pressed her for answers.

"Bella, I can't say anything. I promised him. I can only tell you that you will have fun and Edward thought really hard about what to do." She handed me a stack of clothes. "Now, shush and go try those on. They're in pairs, so try them on accordingly." She turned me around and pushed me toward a dressing room.

Once I stepped in the dressing room and made sure the door was locked to prevent any break-ins from Alice, I set the clothes down on a long bench that stood across from a full length mirror. I quickly changed into the first outfit Alice had picked for me. It was cute, but I thought it didn't fit my personality. It was a pair of black flare jeans with white stitching coupled along with a rather complicated white halter top. It was too showy for me, but Alice insisted that I show her every outfit. _This is going to take forever_ I thought as I stepped out of the dressing room.

"Ooooh. White looks good on you, the contrast makes you look tanner, but I don't like the style on you. You need something more classic beauty." As she spoke, Alice walked past me and went into the dressing room and picked up a different outfit. "Try this one."

The outfit was cute, the top was modeled after Victorian blouses, but it had a modern flare to it that was complemented by the dark skinny jeans Alice had picked out. When I walked out of the dressing room this time, Alice beamed at me.

"Bella, you look great!" She ran up to me and nearly tackled me she was so excited. "Ok, shoes and accessories! I already have a necklace picked out for you! Shoes shouldn't be a problem….well…" She looked at me questioningly. "You can handle heels, right?"

I laughed. "If they're not too high or skinny…and I'm not going to be walking fast." I blushed remembering my clumsiness and Edward's reaction to it.

Alice smirked as she held out a pair of brown heels. "Can you handle a one inch heel?"

I took them and went back to the dressing room to sit on the bench. "I think so." I stood up after both Alice and I had made sure they were securely fastened. To my surprise, I could walk, slowly, but it was better than landing on my face.

"Good. I have a Gucci you can have if you want. It'll go perfectly with that outfit. Now you need to go get dressed so we can pay for this stuff."

"A G-Gucci?! No, Alice. I can't. I don't even own designer stuff!" I protested as she pushed me toward the dressing room. I ended my protesting as soon as I realized I was going to fall if I were to try to fight Alice in heels. This was her territory, not mine.

--

"Bella! Stay still!" Alice was trying to put on my make-up, but she was having a hard time seeing as I found it hard to let anyone come near my eyes without flinching.

"I'm trying!" I whined.

"Bella, if you don't stop, all your waves are going to come out and you're going to have eye shadow all over your face!" Alice set the make-up down on the counter and gave me a stern look. "All I need to do is put this mascara on and then you can put on the lipgloss. I'm tired of fighting." She sighed as she leaned in with the mascara.

"Alice?"

"Hm?" She sounded slightly irritated, as if I were about to complain or start fidgeting again.

"Do you think he'll like the outfit?" I was nervous beyond words and I needed some type of reassurance.

"Of course!" She stopped applying the mascara and put it away. Then she looked at me, looking somewhat angered. "Are you trying to say something about my makeover capabilities?"

"No! Of course not!" I couldn't help but laugh. "I'm just nervous."

"Aww…Sweetie, there's no reason to be nervous." She wrapped her arms around me, trying to calm my nerves. "Edward is a perfect gentleman and I'm sure he's just as nervous. Now, time to go put your shoes and jewelry on and wait!"

"How exciting. I'm going to let the butterflies ravage my stomach for the next hour." I walked off to get my jewelry and shoes. Alice had gone for a natural look, so all my accessories were earth tones. My necklace was a brown heart with gold accents on a leather cord. My earrings were the same hearts in a smaller size. Once I was ready, I looked in the mirror. The girl across from me had a shocked expression, yet she looked exactly like me. I saw Alice walk up behind the girl in the mirror.

"You clean up nicely Bella." She giggled.

"Wait, that's me?" As I pointed at the mirror, the girl mimicked me. It was me! I still looked like me, I had just never put that much effort into what I looked like. My hair cascaded past my shoulders in light waves and my cheeks had a slight flush to them. I couldn't tell if it was the makeup or my surprise that caused it.

"Thanks Alice." I turned to hug her.

"No problem. I'm glad you like it." Our hug was interrupted when we heard a soft knock on the door.

"Oh my God!" I ran to hide somewhere, but my evasion was one of futility. I was trapped in a small room with no hiding spots.

"Calm down!" Alice whispered. "I'm coming!" She replied to the knock as she walked to the door.

My heart raced as Alice opened the door and greeted Edward. He returned her greeting and walked toward me.

"Bella…" He seemed at a loss for words. "You look beautiful." He handed me a white rose that he had hidden behind his back.

I didn't know what to say, he was gorgeous. The flower just added to my awe. I was dazzled for sure, and I'm sure he wasn't even trying to dazzle me. I was so stunned that I didn't even notice when he held his arm out to me.

"Bella? Are you ready?"

"Oh." I blinked multiple times to assure myself that I wasn't dreaming then I looked back up at him. If I was dreaming, I wasn't going to try to wake myself up now so I smiled and nodded. "I'm ready."

"Well then, let's go." He gave me a lopsided grin as we linked arms and left the room.

"Have her back by one!" Alice had poked her head into the hall, trying to act like a concerned parent. Alice's laughter could be heard as she shut the door.

I giggled. "She's something, isn't she?"

"That she is." He chuckled while surveying the results of Alice's makeover skills. "Remind me to thank her." He said as he opened the car door for me.

Once Edward was in the car, my curiosity from earlier came back in full waves. "Edward, where are we going?"

"It a surprise." He grinned as spoke.

"So, can't you tell me some part of it?" I gave him a pleading look.

"Okay, I guess I could." He leaned toward me, our faces almost touching. "It's a special surprise." He began laughing as I started pouting.

"That's not fair. You said you'd tell me part of it." I folded my arms across my chest, much like a four-year-old.

"Aw, Bella…" He placed his hand on my cheek, making my heart race. "If I told you, it wouldn't be fun." He pulled me close and gently kissed my forehead. "Be patient. It's a virtue after all." He threw a mischievous grin my way that sent my heart racing once again. This was going to be an interesting night…

--

**A/N:**

Hello wonderful readers! Sorry once again for taking so long to update! I had orientation and then a bout of writer's block I had to valiantly battle with. Seeing as I have this up, I won, but I'm sure the war isn't over yet.

I have the next chapter planned in my head, so it shouldn't take too long. I will try my best to have another chapter up before Breaking Dawn comes out. If not, I'm afraid there will be a bit of a wait seeing as I head off for college on the 9th. (I know, early, but my dorm is the only dorm that lets people move in early, so I thought I'd take advantage of that.)

I was a little worried early on in the story that my writing was the equivalent of a prepubescent fangirl texting the story to her own computer. (No offence to any readers who actually are prepubescent….3) I was pretty much worried because I didn't get reviews like other stories I had seen that I didn't particularly think were written well….but to each their own. I just enjoy writing…Speaking of which…I have some original stuff I'm planning on writing, but I don't know if I should try to post it on fictionpress or not. Guess we'll see in the future.

As for this chapter, I'm dedicating it to my dear friend, Ali-chan. I figured that she's suffered enough on her vacation and this chapter made me think of all the shopping trips we've yet to go on.

Ok, I know that was a long note, but thanks for reading! Much love, Pika-Senpai.

PS- Bella's shirt and kind of what her necklace looks like, except heart-shaped is in my profile.


	6. Shakespearean Surprise

**Chapter 5: Shakespearean Surprise**

**Edward POV:**

"You look fine, Edward. Quit worrying." Jasper tried to pry me from the mirror where I was making sure I looked presentable.

"Edward, you're going to be late. Don't screw this up." Emmett was always the blunt one. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm just trying to make sure I look alright." I said with one last glance in the mirror. I couldn't believe she actually agreed to go out on a date with me. I was always so selfish. I didn't give her near the amount of attention she deserved.

I made sure to grab my wallet and put it in my back pocket and the rose I had bought to surprise Bella with. I didn't want to scare her with the implications a red rose is normally coupled with, so I had picked a delicate white rose. As I headed toward the door, I stopped to check my outfit once again.

"It's not too over the top, is it?" I turned to look at Jasper, directing my question toward him. Emmett would have some sarcastic remark if the question was posed directly at him.

"You're fine. Bella will love it." He glared at Emmett, sensing that a rude comment was forming in his mind.

With that, I decided to quit worrying, for now. I had chosen a dark pair of jeans, a white button-down long-sleeved shirt, and a black blazer. I wanted to look sharp. I waved goodbye as I walked out the door. As I was walking down the hall, I could hear Emmett's booming voice.

"Don't mess up!" Laughter from both him and Jasper echoed down the hall.

I scowled as I quietly muttered to myself, "Jerks."

When I had gotten to Bella's dorm, I knocked softly, hoping not to cause any panic. I knew Bella was probably stressed from a day of playing dress-up…

"I'm coming!" Alice's soprano voice called. She soon opened the door, allowing me to get my first glance at her finished work.

"Hey Edward." Alice chimed.

"Oh, hey." I couldn't concentrate enough to adequately greet her. "Bella…" I didn't know what to say. She was gorgeous. I settled for making my thoughts known. "You look beautiful." I handed her the rose I had been hiding behind my back, bringing a blush to her cheeks.

"Bella? Are you ready?" I held my arm out to her, like a true gentleman.

"Oh." She blinked, as if trying to clear her head or wake herself up from a dream. She smiled and nodded once she had torn herself from her thoughts. She was adorable. "I'm ready."

"Well then, let's go." I grinned as I led her out the door.

"Have her back by one!" Alice had poked her head into the hall, trying to act like a concerned parent. Alice's laughter could be heard as she shut the door.

Bella giggled, an enchanting sound. "She's something, isn't she?"

"That she is." I chuckled while surveying the results of Alice's makeover skills. I really did owe Alice. Maybe she would like another Porsche. "Remind me to thank her." I said as I opened the car door for her.

As soon as I had sat down behind the steering wheel, Bella began questioning me. "Edward, where are we going?"

"It a surprise." I grinned as spoke.

"So, can't you tell me some part of it?" She pleaded with me, trying to break me down. I couldn't let her see what she was doing to me. Two could play that game.

"Okay, I guess I could." I leaned toward her, our faces almost touching. "It's a special surprise." Bella immediately started pouting, making me laugh.

"That's not fair. You said you'd tell me part of it." She folded her arms across her chest, much like a four-year-old, but much cuter.

"Aw, Bella…" I placed my hand on her cheek, making her face flush. "If I told you, it wouldn't be fun." I pulled her close. I wanted to give in to her, but instead, I kissed her forehead, hoping she would be content for a few more minutes. "Be patient. It's a virtue after all." I grinned at her mischievously. This was going to be an interesting night…

**Bella POV:**

"So, Bella, what's your favorite Shakespearean play?"

I cocked my head, caught off guard and confused. What a random question! "Um, I would say _Romeo and Juliet_. My second favorite is _A Midsummer Night's Dream_."

"Really? That's good." He smiled, as if he were thinking of an inside joke. "_Romeo and Juliet_ is one of my favorites as well. People think I'm crazy for loving such a tragedy, but is it really a tragedy for two people to fall in love?" He looked thoughtful as he talked.

"Well, they did die, in case you forgot." I quipped.

"They did together though. It was their last resort of sorts. I will admit, it is sad, but I think their love makes up for the sad ending."

"True. Hey, are we there yet?" My curiosity was starting to break through again.

"Almost." He smiled as he drove up to a well-lit and elaborately decorated street corner and parked the car. Before I could say anything, he stepped out and was at my open door, offering me his hand.

"Where are we?" I asked as he handed his keys to a man dressed in a suit.

"Thanks." He said to the man as he ignored my question and continued walking. We rounded the corner and my question was answered immediately.

I turned to Edward, in complete shock. "Oh my God! You didn't!"

Edward beamed with pride as he pulled out two tickets from his blazer pocket. "I did."

He held my hand as he continued to walk toward the bright lights of the theater. "I'm so glad it's your favorite. I knew you liked Shakespeare, but how convenient that this is your favorite!" he laughed in relief. It may not be Broadway, but this theater has some of the best actors in the area. I thought you might enjoy it.

I was speechless. "Edward…I don't know what to say." I blushed.

"I'm taking that as an 'I love it!'" He smiled, his white teeth gleaming in the lights.

I nodded and managed a meek "Thank you."

"Just wait until you see where our seats are!"

If I was speechless in the beginning, I had lost any linguistic capability I had left when I saw our seats. Edward had gotten us the best seats in the house, usually reserved for political figures or other important people. I guess when you were a Cullen, you were important.

The play was brilliant. The actors were so talented; they had the audience in tears by the balcony scene. Edward and I would discuss the different scenes as the stage hands prepared for the following one. During the play, Edward would repeat some of Romeo's lines, making my heart melt and completely overshadowing the Romeo on stage with his velvety voice.

During the intermission, Edward told me had to step out for about ten minutes. He never told me what for, but I assumed it was something to do with school. I sighed. He never could separate leisure from work, could he? I ignored his absence, no matter how hard it was. When he came back, any bitterness was completely washed away by his smile. Everything went back to how it had been before he had left.

About the time Friar John attempts to deliver the letter explaining Juliet's and Friar Lawrence's plan, Edward tapped me on the shoulder. "Hey, Bella."

"Hm?" He had my full attention.

"I have to go for about 10 minutes. I promise I'll be back before Paris and Romeo go at it." He gave me a lopsided grin to which, despite my annoyance, I could only reply with a nod and a smile.

Where did he have to go now? I was angry. I understand he took school seriously, but really, isn't this overdoing it? I was fuming. I'm sure the anger between the feuding families on the stage was nothing compared to the anger I was experiencing at the moment.

As he had promised, Edward was back before Romeo had encountered Paris. "Back. And just in time!" He nudged me teasingly.

"Mmmhmm." I tried to pass off my anger as interest in the play's proceedings. He seemed to believe my charade for the time being.

When the play came to an end, instead of standing and clapping for minutes on end with the rest of the audience, Edward dragged me off in a hurry.

"Edward! What's going on?" I struggled to produce coherent speech as I tried to keep up with him.

"You'll see." He slowed down as we came up to the valet parking area. His car was already there, the man standing at the door, holding the keys that were dangling in the light breeze.

"Come on. We don't have much time!" He shouted excitedly as he jumped into the driver's seat.

"What's going on Edward?" I was close to the point of lashing out on him, but I didn't want to hurt his feelings. Once I was in the car, he sped off. I could barely see the theater, the small Italian restaurant and the valet parking area as we sped past. My stomach growled. I could almost smell the food from the restaurants lining the street.

"Hungry?" Edward chuckled. I wasn't in the mood to joke.

"Yes, very." I said with an edge to my voice.

"No worries then." The car slowed as Edward parallel parked next to a parking meter in front of the park. He quickly jumped out and dropped a few quarters into the slot and came to open my door, but I was already out, arms crossed and fuming.

"What's going on?" The agitation was clear in both my speech and my body language.

"Hold on one second Bella." He opened the back door on the passenger's side of the Volvo and pulled out a basket. "Now, I think this might change your attitude a little." He laughed.

"Not when you ditched me for work." I mumbled as we walked into the park.

"Wait…what?!" Edward's green eyes were filled with shock.

"You were busy with school stuff, weren't you?"

He chuckled softly as he gently placed the hand not carrying the basket on my face. "Bella, do you think I'm that obsessed with work?"

"Let me remind you of our first outing together…" I my voice came out more like a hiss. I was angry.

He laughed. What was he thinking?! I was angry and he was laughing for the very reason I was fuming! "Bella, I can assure you I was not working, even though the notion is quite expected of me."

I glared at him, my arms folded in agitation. I raised an eyebrow, telling him to explain.

"I have yet to use my phone this evening. I've had calls, but it's been on silent. So no study groups, no projects, or et cetera." He held his phone out as proof. He had four missed calls, one from Emmett.

"As you can see, I didn't even answer Emmett's call. And knowing him, it was definitely not work related." He smirked as my anger started to subside.

"So what were you doing?"

Edward took my hand and continued walking. "You'll see."

We walked for about five minutes. We finally rounded the stone wall that divided the park from its green fields and its colorful garden. My eyes widens as I took in the scene. There was a table for two with multiple candles carefully placed on and around it to give off enough light. There was still a good bit of light without the candles due to the city lights, but I assumed the candles were mostly to add a sense of romance to the scene.

"Is this what you were doing?" I looked at him in shock.

"Not necessarily. Alice actually helped me with the table, but I went and got this." He held the basket up. I now realized that the smell of food that had been in Edward's car was not the result of the multiple restaurants lining the streets, but the food he had gotten from one of them that was then stashed in his car. I had been too angry to notice.

"I hope you like Italian. I figured it was the safest bet. There's a little bit of everything, so I hopefully got something—"

I stopped him mid-sentence as I hugged him and apologized profusely. "I'm so sorry I was rude. I should've asked before assuming things."

He responded with a soft kiss in my hair. I could hear him inhale to smell my hair. "I like your shampoo." He pulled back and gave me a lopsided grin before we both started laughing.

"Way to be random, Edward." I laughed, releasing any tension I had felt before.

"I had to do something to make you stop feeling guilty." He shot me a lopsided grin, the grin that made me melt.

I remained silent with awe as I sat down in the chair he pulled out for me. I still felt the twinge of guilt for thinking so poorly of Edward.

"Still feeling guilty?" He read me like a book.

"Um…If I say yes are you going to be mad?" I looked up at him nervously. He was standing next to me, having not sat down yet.

"No, not at all." He leaned down so that our faces were only inches apart. His green eyes smoldered as he looked into my brown ones. "I'll just have to make you forget about it again." I closed my eyes and took deep breaths, trying to stay composed. I opened my eyes to the pure night air, Edward had taken his seat.

"You weren't going to pass out on me before you could even enjoy my surprise? Tsk…Bella, I'm hurt." He feigned both shock and pain as he placed his hand over his heart.

"It would've been your fault anyway. Have you ever heard of personal space?" I laughed as his eyes widened in mock distress.

"Personal space? I believe I have heard of it, but do you abhor me so much that you pass out in my very presence?" He continued to playfully mock my statement.

"No, you just need to warn me first. I need to hold my breath." I puffed out my cheeks and held my nose as if I were a little kid about to jump into a pool.

"Silly Bella. There are better reasons to hold your breath." He looked up from his plate with a mischievous gleam in his eye that sent shivers up my spine and made my cheeks flush..

The rest of dinner went much the same way. He would say something and I would either respond with a witty remark or a quiet blush. I only made him blush once. I don't know why he blushed actually, I just remember looking up and seeing him flushed as if I had said something to cause the rush of blood to his face.

Once we finished dinner, Edward led me back to his car while ignoring my protests to leaving our mess behind.

"Bella, dear, I have planned this all out. When will you trust that I have that part taken care of?" He chimed as he took his hand out of mine only to wrap his arm around my shoulders. I blushed. His endearing words coupled with his protective hold only ruined my calm composure. How did he stay so calm?

"It's almost one. I think Alice wanted me home by one, we." I wasn't very concerned, I'm sure Alice was only joking, but I was getting tired and I didn't want to take a risk with the overzealous Cullen.

"Yes. I'm sure Alice wants you back so she can hear all about how her brother messed up." He chuckled he opened the car door for me.

"You haven't messed up yet, but you have until you drop me off my door." I pointed out to him.

"Ah, true. What kind of date would I be if I didn't walk you to your door?" He smiled gently.

It hadn't registered until that moment, but now it hit me full force. Would I have to give him a kiss? It's not like I was appalled by the idea; in fact, I was quite fond of the notion. I was nervous, the only experience I had was a kiss my best friend, Jacob, had forced on me in high school. The car was silent and I didn't notice anything until Edward was opening my door and offering me his hand. When I was finally out of the carr, he wrapped his arm around my waist and guided me to my room, stopping just out of site of the door.

"Well here we are Bella." Edward whispered softly as he pulled me around to face him.

"Thanks for everything Edward. I really had fun." I didn't know what to do, my heart was beating so fast I'm sure it was about to burst. I looked up into his eyes just as he pulled me closer and leaned his head down toward mine. I closed my eyes as his lips came closer to mine. I was too nervous to do anything else. The moment his lips touched mine I felt an electric spark that washed away all my inhibition. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to my level as our lips moved in synch. The kiss was filled with an unspoken, gentle passion. I could've stayed in that moment for hours, but the kiss ended when Edward pulled away. His eyes smoldering with adoration and an emotion I couldn't recognize.

He placed a chaste kiss on my head. "Goodnight Bella. Sweet dreams." He winked before he turned around and walked off.

As soon as his footsteps could no longer be heard and I turned to go inside, the door swung open and Alice popped out.

"What happened?!" She jumped with glee.

I stared in horror. "Did you just see that?!" My eyes were wide.

Alice frowned. "No, the idiot was smart enough to stay out of the view I had from the peep hole." She huffed as she grabbed my arm a drug me inside.

**A/N:**

Hello! Sorry I took so long. I finally got settled in my dorm and found the time to finish this up. I don't know when my next update will be, but feel free to give any suggestions for the story. I'll try to incorporate them as I write.

Thanks for reading and all the lovely reviews.

Much love,

Pika


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